UNIVERSITY     OF     CALIFORNIA      AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

BENJ.    IDE    WHEELER,    PRESIDENT 


COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE  thomas   forsyth    hunt,  dean  and  oirecto 

BERKELEY 


H.      E.     VAN     NORMAN,     Vice-  Dl  R  ECTOR     AND      DEAN 
University    Farm  School 


CIRCULAR  No.  150 

(April,  1916) 

ROUND  WORMS   IN   POULTRY-LIFE 
HISTORY  AND  CONTROL 

By  W.  B.  HERMS  AND  J.  R.  BEACH 


Round  worms,  while  among  the  most  abundant  and  widespread 
intestinal  parasites  of  fowls,  may  be  easily  controlled.  Methods  for 
treatment  of  affected  birds  and  the  prevention  of  further  spread  and 
infestation  are  outlined  in  the  pages  following. 

Flocks  infested  with  round  worms  are  exceedingly  unprofitable. 
The  birds  are  emaciated,  unthrifty,  appear  unkempt  and  suffer  from 
diarrhea  or  constipation.    Young  fowls  are  most  severely  affected. 

To  combat  successfully  and  to  eradicate  round  worms,  it  is  desir- 
able that  one  recognize  the  worms  and  understand  their  life  history 
as  well  as  have  a  knowledge  of  the  mode  of  spread  from  fowl  to  fowl. 

The  round  worm,  Ascaris  inflexa,  when  full  grown  is  about  one 
millimeter  (%5  inch)  in  diameter  near  the  middle,  tapering  at  both 
ends,  the  mouth  end  terminating  in  three  circular  lips  or  papillae. 
The  worms  are  yellowish  to  pinkish  white  and  measure  from  55  to 
80  mm.  (about  214  to  314  inches)  in  length  in  the  female  and  from 
40  to  55  mm.  (about  iy2  to  2^4  inches)  in  the  male.  These  parasites 
inhabit  the  lower  part  of  the  small  intestine  of  the  fowls  and  often 
occur  in  enormous  numbers,  indeed  they  may  be  so  abundant  as  to 
literally  fill  the  lumen  as  shown  in  figure  1. 

The  worms  have  a  tendency  to  migrate,  occasionally  working  up 
the  oviduct  and  becoming  enveloped  in  the  eggs. 

LIFE  HISTORY  OF  THE  WORM 
The  adult  worms  deposit  vast  numbers  of  very  minute  eggs  in  thr 
intestine  of  the  infested  bird.  The  eggs  are  only  visible  with  the  aid 
of  a  microscope.  They  pass  out  of  the  intestine  of  the  bird  with  the 
droppings,  are  very  resistent  to  dryness  and  ordinarily  do  not  hatch 
until  taken  into  the  alimentary  canal  of  the  next  fowl.  There  is  some 
evidence  that  eggs  may  hatch  in  the  droppings  under  certain  condi- 


tions.  Infection  is  brought  about  by  means  of  food  or  drink  which 
has  been  contaminated  with  egg-laden  droppings.  Thus  one  infested 
bird  may  soon  infect  an  entire  flock. 

In  examining  the  intestine  of  an  infested  fowl  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  larval  worms  occur  mainly  at  the  gizzard  end  and  that  the  worms 
become  longer  at  the  lower  end  of  the  intestine;  thus  the  mature 
worms  are  found  at  the  lower  end,  except  when  present  in  large 
numbers,  in  which  case  the  entire  intestine  ma}^  be  filled  as  though 
stuffed  with  straw. 

Development  from  newly  hatched  larvae  to  full-grown  males  and 
females  is  attained  in  from  three  to  four  weeks.  If  infection  has  lasted 
the  required  length  of  time  the  droppings  of  an  infested  fowl  will  be 
seen  to  harbor  great  numbers  of  the  tiny  worm  eggs. 

CONTROL 

It  is  evident  that  a  campaign  to  control  the  round  worms  involves 
both  treatment  of  the  fowl  in  order  to  expel  the  worms,  and  disinfec- 
tion and  sanitation  of  the  coops  and  runways  to  prevent  reinfection. 

An  extensive  series  of  experiments  was  conducted  by  one  of  us 
( J.  R.  B.)  in  order  to  test  the  value  of  certain  anthelmintics  and  other 
remedies,  such  as  powdered  areca  nut,  powdered  pomegranate  root 
bark,  turpentine,  gasoline,  iron  sulphate  and  tobacco.  These  were 
given  both  alone  and  in  various  combinations,  in  the  form  of  pills  or 
mixed  with  the  food.  A  physic  consisting  of  either  Epsom  salts  or 
Glauber's  salts  was  given  either  together  with  or  following  the  admin- 
istration of  the  drug.  For  these  experiments  lots  of  from  6  to  12 
fowls  were  used,  and  kept  in  cages  provided  with  wire  net  bottoms  to 
exclude  the  possibility  of  their  becoming  reinfected  and  to  enable 
better  observations  of  the  results.  Areca  nut,  although  highly  recom- 
mended by  many,  proved  of  little  value  either  when  given  in  the  form 
of  a  pill  or  mixed  with  the  mash.  Few  worms  were  expelled  and  post- 
mortem examinations  after  a  few  doses  were  given,  showed  many  of 
the  worms  still  in  the  intestines.  Furthermore,  the  fowls  would  not 
eat  the  mash  containing  areca  nut  unless  they  were  starved  for  sev- 
eral days  and  then  ate  very  sparingly. 

Powdered  pomegranate  root  bark  gave  somewhat  better  results  and 
was  eaten  more  readily  by  the  fowls,  but  is  not  effective  enough  to  be 
of  value.  Turpentine,  while  in  some  cases  expelling  quite  a  number  of 
the  worms,  proved  valueless  in  others.  Moreover,  a  number  of  fowls 
died  from  the  effects  of  this  treatment.  It  is  also  difficult  to  induce 
the  birds  to  eat  food  treated  with  turpentine. 


Fig.  1.     Major  portion  of  intestine  of  fowl  badly  infested  with  round  worms. 
Openings  made  in  the  wall  of  the  intestine  show  extent  of  infestation. 


Tobacco  stems,  when  finely  chopped,  steeped  in  water  for  two 
hours  and  mixed  with  the  mash,  were  readily  eaten  by  the  fowls  and 
gave  uniformly  good  results.  The  fowls  which  were  very  badly  in- 
fested with  round  worms,  were,  in  most  instances,  entirely  free  from 
these  parasites  after  two  doses. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  TOBACCO  TREATMENT 

For  one  hundred  fowls  take  one  pound  finely  chopped  tobacco 
stems ;  steep  these  for  two  hours  in  enough  water  to  keep  them  covered, 
mix  this  liquid,  also  the  stems,  with  ground  feed  sufficient  for  one-half 
the  usual  feeding.  Before  this  is  fed  the  fowls  should  be  prepared 
by  reducing  the  feed  of  the  previous  evening  to  one-half  the  custom- 
ary ration.  On  the  day  of  treatment  no  feed  should  be  given  until  2 
o'clock  p.m.,  when  the  medicated  mash  is  fed,  care  being  taken  that 
each  fowl  gets  its  share.  Two  hours  later  give  about  one-fourth  the 
usual  ration  of  ground  feed  mash  made  with  water  in  which  Epsom 
salts  (eleven  ounces  per  one  hundred  fowls)  has  been  dissolved.  The 
treatment  should  be  repeated  in  seven  days.  Chicks  may  receive  the 
same  treatment,  the  normal  ration  of  food  for  the  different  ages  taking 
care  of  their  proportion  of  tobacco. 

Epsom  salts  rather  than  Glauber's  salts  is  given  as  a  physic  for  the 
reason  that  the  former  dissolves  much  more  rapidly,  makes  a  perma- 
nent solution  (the  latter  crystallizes  on  standing)  and  is  apparently 
eaten  more  readily  than  is  the  latter. 

The  tobacco  treatment  costs  but  ten  cents  per  hundred   fowls,  and 
is  therefore  most  economical. 


DISINFECTION  OF  YARDS 

The  treated  fowls  must  now  be  removed  to  yards  free  from  infec- 
tion, i.e.,  free  from  living  round  worm  eggs.  In  order  to  ascertain  the 
value  of  certain  chemicals  in  the  destruction  of  worm  eggs  the  follow- 
ing experiment  was  conducted. 

Three  brooder  yards  in  which  worm-infested  fowls  had  been  kept 
were  selected.  Microscopic  examination  of  the  soil  from  these  yards 
revealed  the  presence  of  large  numbers  of  round  worm  eggs  to  a  depth 
of  two  inches  below  the  surface.  No  eggs  could  be  demonstrated  in 
soil  removed  from  a  greater  depth. 

All  the  filth  and  loose  surface  dirt  from  two  of  the  yards  was 
swept  up  and  hauled  away.    One  of  the  yards  was  then  sprinkled  with 


a  1  to  1000  solution  of  bichloride  of  mercury  (corrosive  sublimate,  one 
ounce  to  eight  gallons  of  water),  and  the  other  with  a  5  per  cent  solu- 
tion of  copper  sulphate  (blue  stone).    The  third  yard  was  not  treated. 

It  was  found  that  at  least  one  gallon  of  the  disinfectant  for  every 
ten  square  feet  of  ground  was  necessary  to  penetrate  the  soil  to  a 
sufficient  depth,  namely,  two  inches. 

Copper  sulphate  was  found  to  be  so  corrosive  that  it  destroyed  the 
galvanized  iron  vessel  in  which  the  solution  was  made  and  the  sprinkler 


Fig.  2.     Posterior  ends  of  worms  showing  sexual  differences.     Female  right ; 
male  left — note  presence  of  prominent  spicules. 


with  which  it  was  applied ;  its  efficiency  to  destroy  the  eggs  is  also  very 
doubtful,  hence  it  is  not  recommended  for  this  purpose. 

In  addition  to  the  yards,  the  houses  connected  therewith  were  also 
thoroughly  cleaned  and  disinfected  as  above  and  fitted  with  roosts,  be- 
neath which  a  wire  netting  was  placed  so  as  to  exclude  fowls  from 
the  droppings. 

After  treating  about  fifty  badly  infested  scrub  fowls  with  tobacco 
as  above  described  and  finding  them  free  from  worms  by  post  mortem 


G 

examination  of  certain  individuals,  and  assuming  the  rest  to  be  so, 
these  were  divided  into  two  equal  lots,  one  placed  in  the  yard  treated 
with  bichloride  of  mercury  and  the  other  in  the  untreated  yard.  (No 
fowls  were  placed  in  the  yard  treated  with  copper  sulphate). 

The  birds  in  the  treated  yard  increased  in  size  rapidly,  while  those 
in  the  untreated  yard  showed  no  material  improvement  in  condition 
nor  increase  in  size.  At  the  end  of  three  weeks  certain  of  the  poorest 
looking  birds  in  the  treated  lot  were  examined  by  post  mortem  ex- 
amination and  found  to  be  absolutely  free  from  round  worms,  while 
a  similar  examination  of  birds  from  the  untreated  yards  showed  in 
their  intestines  many  round  worms  in  all  stages  of  development. 

The  result  of  this  experiment  demonstrates  the  value  of  disinfec- 
tion with  bichloride  of  mercury  in  the  proportions  of  1  to  1000  when 
used  as  above  described. 

In  case  a  power  spray  is  not  available,  the  solution  can  be  applied 
as  easily  with  an  ordinary  sprinkling  can. 

Persons  using  the  bichloride  of  mercury  must  take  into  account 
its  very  poisonous  nature.  Open  vessels  of  the  solution  must  not  be 
accessible  to  dogs,  cats,  poultry  or  other  domesticated  a7iimals.  Keep 
vessels  (wood  receptacles  should  be  used)  containing  the  disinfectant 
well  covered  and  properly  labelled  "poison." 

TO  HANDLE  BROODER  CHICKS 

It  is  of  great  importance  to  keep  brooder  chicks  free  from  the 
worms  inasmuch  as  young  growing  fowls  are  more  severely  affected 
than  are  the  mature  ones,  and  retarded  growth  is  the  result.  It  is 
recommended  that  before  the  chicks  are  put  in  the  brooder  in  the 
spring  all  loose  dirt  in  the  yards  be  swept  up  and  removed  and  the 
yards  sprinkled  with  a  1  to  1000  solution  of  bichloride  of  mercury, 
using  at  least  one  gallon  for  every  ten  square  feet  of  yard.  Great 
care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  infection  from  being  carried  in  from 
other  yards  on  the  feet  of  attendants  or  by  other  means.  In  case  the 
chicks  become  infected  even  after  all  precautions  have  been  taken  the 
yards  should  be  treated  as  directed  above  and  the  fowls  given  the 
tobacco  treatment. 

OTHER  PRECAUTIONS 

All  sweepings  and  droppings  from  the  infected  yards  and  houses 
should  be  removed  to  a  place  to  which  fowls  do  not  have  access.  There 
is  evidence  that  the  worm  eggs  in  the  droppings  may  remain  alive  for 
at  least  a  year,  hence  the  practice  of  using  infected  droppings  for 


fertilizing  purposes  on  ground  to  which  chicks  have  access  is  an  im- 
portant cause  for  repeated  worm  infection.  The  exact  length  of  time 
eggs  may  remain  alive  in  a  compost  heap  is  a  matter  which  must  be 
determined  by  further  experiment;  however,  it  is  believed  that  the 
droppings  should  be  allowed  to  lie  in  a  compost  heap  for  at  least  a 


Fig.  3.     Shows  segment  of  intestine,  with  worms  protruding  from  lumen. 

year  before  using  as  a  fertilizer,  unless  otherwise  disinfected  in  a 
manner  not  injurious  to  the  manure,  a  matter  in  which  we  cannot 
advise  at  present. 

All  hen  houses  should  be  supplied  with  dropping  boards  and  roosts 
beneath  which  wire  netting  is  placed  in  order  to  exclude  the  fowls  from 
the  droppings. 


STATION  PUBLICATIONS  AVAILABLE  FOR  DISTRIBUTION 


REPORTS 

1897.      Resistant  Vines,   their  Selection,  Adaptation,   and  Grafting.      Appendix  to   Viticultural 
Report  for  1896. 

1902.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1898-1901. 

1903.  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1901-03. 

1904.  Twenty-second  Report  of  the  Agricultural  Experiment  Station  for  1903-04. 

1914.  Report  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  Agricultural  Experiment   Station,   Julv, 

1913-June,   1914. 

1915.  Report  of  the  College  of  Agriculture   and  the  Agricultural  Experiment   Station,    Julv, 

1914-June,   1915. 


No. 
168. 

169. 
174. 
178. 
184. 

185. 

195. 
203. 

207. 
208. 
212. 
213. 
216. 


220. 
225. 
227. 
230. 
234. 
241. 
242. 
244. 
246. 


Observations  on  Some  Vine  Diseases 
in   Sonoma  County. 

Tolerance  of  the  Sugar  Beet  for  Alkali. 

A  New  Wine-Cooling  Machine. 

Mosquito   Control. 

Report  of  the  Plant  Pathologist  to 
July   1,    1906. 

Report  of  Progress  in  Cereal  Investi- 
gations. 

The  California   Grape  Root-worm. 

Report  of  the  Plant  Pathologist  to 
Julv   1,    1909. 

The  Control  of  the  Argentine  Ant. 

The  Late  Blight  of  Celery. 

California  White  Wheats. 

The  Principles  of  Wine-making. 

A  Progress  Report  Upon  Soil  and  Cli- 
matic Factors  Influencing  the  Com- 
position of  Wheat. 

Dosage  Tables. 

Tolerance  of  Eucalyptus  for  Alkali. 

Grape  Vinegar. 

Enological   Investigations. 

Red  Spiders  and  Mites  of  Citrus  Trees. 

Vine  Pruning  in  California,  Part  I. 

Humus   in   California   Soils. 

Utilization  of  Waste  Oranges. 

Vine  Pruning  in   California,   Part   II. 


BULLETINS 
No. 

248. 


249. 
250. 
251. 


252. 
253. 

254. 
255. 
256. 
257. 
258. 
261. 

262. 

263. 
264. 
265. 
266. 

267. 
268. 
269. 


The  Economic  Value  of  Pacific   Coast 

Kelps. 
Stock-Poisoning  Plants  of  California. 
The  Loquat. 
Utilization  of  the  Nitrogen  and  Organic 

Matter   in    Septic    and    Imhoff   Tank 

Sludges. 
Deterioration  of  Lumber. 
Irrigation   and   Soil   Conditions   in  the 

Sierra    Nevada   Foothills,    California. 
The  Avocado  in  California. 
The  Citricola  Scale. 
Value  of  Barlev  for  Cows  Fed  Alfalfa. 
New  Dosage  Tables. 
Mealy  Bugs  of  Citrus  Trees. 
Melaxuma    of    the    Walnut,     "Juglans 

regia." 
Citrus   Diseases   of   Florida   and   Cuba 

Compared  with  Those  of  California. 
Size  Grade  for  Ripe  Olives. 
The  Calibration  of  the  Leakage  Meter. 
Cottony  Rot  of  Lemons  in  California. 
A  Spotting  of  Citrus  Fruits  Due  to  the 

Action  of  Oil  Liberated  from  the  Rind. 
Experiments  with  Stocks  for  Citrus. 
Growing  and  Grafting  Olive  Seedlings. 
Phenolic   Insecticides   and   Fungicides. 


No. 
65. 
69. 

70. 

76. 

82. 

100. 
106. 

107. 

108. 
109. 


110. 
111. 

113. 
114. 
115. 
117. 

118. 

119. 
121. 

122. 

124. 
125. 

126. 


li 


The  California   Insecticide  Law 

The   Extermination    of   Morning-Glory. 

Observations  on  the  Status  of  Corn 
Growing  in   California. 

Hot   Room   Callusing. 

The  Common  Ground  Squirrels  of 
California. 

Pruning  Frosted  Citrus  Trees. 

Directions  for  Using  Anti-Hog  Cholera 
Serum. 

Spraying  Walnut  Trees  for  Blight  and 
Aphis    Control. 

Grape  Juice. 

Community  or  Local  Extension  Work 
by  the  High  School  Agricultural  De- 
partment. 

Green   Manuring  in   California. 

The  Use  of  Lime  and  Gypsum  on  Cali- 
fornia Soils. 

Correspondence  Courses  in  Agriculture. 

Increasing  the  Dutv  of  Water. 

Grafting  Vinifera  Vineyards. 

The  Selection  and  Cost  of  a  Small 
Pumning  Plant. 

The  County  Farm  Bureau. 

Winery  Directions. 

Some  Things  the  Prospective  Settler 
Should  Know. 

The  Management  of  Strawberry  Soils 
in  Pajaro  Valley. 

Alfalfa   Silage   for  Fattening   Steers. 

Aphids  on  Grain   and  Cantaloupes. 

Spraying  for  the  Grape  Leaf  Hopper. 


CIRCULARS 
No. 
127. 
128. 
129. 
130. 
131. 
132. 


133. 
134. 
135. 
136. 
137. 
138. 
139. 


140. 

141. 

142. 

143. 

144. 
145. 

146. 

147. 
148. 
149. 


House  Fumigation. 

Insecticide  Formulas. 

The  Control  of  Citrus  Insects. 

Cabbage   Growing  in   California. 

Spraying  for  Control  of  Walnut  Aphis. 

When  to  Vaccinate  against  Hog 
Cholera. 

County  Farm  Adviser. 

Control  of  Raisin   Insects. 

Official  Tests  of  Dairy  Cows. 

Melilotus   Indica. 

Wood  Decay  in  Orchard  Trees. 

The  Silo  in  California  Agriculture. 

The  Generation  of  Hydrocyanic  Acid 
Gas  in  Fumigation  by  Portable  Ma- 
chines. 

The  Practical  Application  of  Improved 
Methods  of  Fermentation  in  Califor- 
nia Wineries  during  1913  and  1914. 

Standard  Insecticides  and  Fungicides 
versus   Secret  Preparations. 

Practical  and  Inexpensive  Poultry  Ap- 
pliances. 

Control  of  Grasshoppers  in  Imperial 
Valley. 

Oidium  or  Powdery  Mildew  of  the  Vine. 

Suggestions  to  Poultrymen  concerning 
Chicken  Pox. 

Jellies  and  Marmalades  from  Citrus 
Fruits. 

Tomato  Growing  in  California. 

"Lungworms." 

Lawn  Making  in  California 


